Surface water mobilization: General comments on dams in Algeria in the past, present and future

Abstract

Algeria is located in a region with an arid climate, which requires rational management of water resources. According to the current state of knowledge, the mobilisation of water through dams started with diversion works before the colonial period. During the colonial period (1830-1962), sixteen dams with a total capacity of one billion m3 were built. It was only after independence that large dams were erected to reach a capacity of about nine billion m3 in 2020. The preservation of these structures is one of the current and future priorities. The phenomenon of silting risks compromising development in terms of water mobilisation. Currently, the storage capacity lost through silting is 11 %. To remedy this phenomenon, studies have been carried out at the University of Biskra (Algeria) with Hydrocoop-France which have made it possible to define new techniques for increasing storage capacity.